Johnny Angel
by t16-skyhopper
Summary: Chris Davis has come back to Shady Brook to relive her memories, and her childhood friend, Ralph Chaney wants to help. But Chris is about to get help from an angel that society shunned...
1. Chapter One

A/N: Hey, this is my first attempt at a fanfic. This is like a modern-day retelling of the Phantom of the Opera, although it might end differently. Oh, This may be mostly PG rated, I don't really know yet. Anyway, hope you like it, and reviews are appreciated!

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_Chapter One_

Nineteen year old, Chris Davis scanned the streets of _Shady Brook_, searching for her new house. Her real-estate agent had already showed the home, but Chris wasn't used to the surroundings and was now wishing she had asked for a map.

"Damn it," she muttered as she passed the same 'slow children at play' sign for the third time.

Chris was mentally cursing herself for not remembering her way around this town. _Shady Brook_ held quite a bit of memories for Chris. Sadly, she had moved away before she learned to drive, so she didn't know the neighborhood streets that well. But she had lived there long enough to still remember various places from her childhood.

She could remember spending afternoons at _Frosty's malt-shop_, _Bennett's drugstore_, the cinema, and she had particularly fond memories of the local theatre. But the one place she remembered the best was a bookstore. _Montgomery's Bookshop _was where her father had worked when she had lived in _Shady Brook _as a child.

Steve Davis, Chris' father, had taken on the responsibility of raising her himself after his wife died giving birth to Chris. Mr. Davis was a musician, but he didn't make enough money to feed their small family by performing, so he applied for a job at a local bookstore. He didn't make much money, but it put a roof over their head.

Chris was hoping she would be able to contact Mr. Montgomery soon, so she could see about applying for a spot at the store. But right now, the task at hand was finding her house.

_131, 132,_ Chris counted off in her mind, _Ah! 133_ _Cobble Drive!_

Chris smiled as her eyes fell upon the white cookie-cutter house that now belonged to her. She pulled into the driveway, and popped the trunk as she climbed out of her _Honda Accent_. She walked up to the stoop of her house, and turned to face towards the street.

It was a perfect September day, and even the grass seemed greener. Everything seemed better than it had ever been before. The trees were starting turning their lovely shades of reds and oranges, and children were playing games all up and down the sidewalks.

_Well, _Chris thought to herself, _might as well start unpacking._

She went back to her car, and opened the trunk the rest of the way. There were a few boxes in the trunk; the movers had already brought most of her stuff. Chris sighed as she hauled two of the boxes into the house.

The boxes were set on the hardwood floor as Chris looked around the den. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: Please Review!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom of the Opera's plot, although my story most likely will end differently and has different characters.

A/N: Just to let you know, here are who the characters in my story represent:

John- Erik

Chris Davis- Christine Daae

Ralph Chaney- Raoul de Chagny

Carla- Carlotta

Peter- Piangi

Mr. Andrew- Andre

Mr. Ferris- Firmin

Ms. Gary- Madame Giry

Megan Gary- Meg Giry

Joe Bucket- Joseph Buquet

Steve Davis- Stephan Daae

Mr. Montgomery- OC

Got It?

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Chapter Two 

Chris had finished unpacking somewhere around six-thirty, so when she went to draw the drapes, the sun was already setting. The sky had turned a pretty shade of pinkish-purple. With one final look around the house, Chris gave a huge yawn and decided it was time to turn in for the night.

When she awoke the next morning, the first thing on her agenda was to contact Mr. Montgomery so she could see if there were any spots available at his store. She groggily headed for the kitchen to get herself a mug of coffee. She needed her caffeine if she was going to get through the day.

When the mug was drained of its liquids, she headed back up the stairs to get out of her pajamas. She dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a tee. When she opened a window for some fresh-air, she noticed that it was rather chilly outside, so she also grabbed a long-sleeved flannel shirt before leaving the house.

Chris wasn't in a hurry as she walked down the sidewalks of _Shady Brook. _She wanted to soak up every bit of it as possible. It was a great feeling seeing her hometown again. She adored how all the house fit together painted in their pastel colors. She loved seeing the young children laughing and giggling, and actually started laughing as well when she saw a couple of girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.

She rounded the corner, and sprang through the doors of '_Montgomery's Bookshop'. _An older man standing behind the front counter looked up from his newspaper. Immediately his face broke into a warm smile.

"Christine Charlotte Davis," he started, "is that you?"

Chris smiled and ran up beside him to give him a hug. She explained her reason for being there, and Montgomery looked taken aback.

"I wish you would have contacted me sooner, of course you can work here! I would be honored! No one has been able to match up to the effort your father put into his job while working her. By the way, I'm very sorry to hear what happened to him. I'm also very sorry for your loss. What exactly was..."

"Cancer," Chris said hurriedly, cutting Mr. Montgomery off in mid-sentence.

"Ah," he said, nodding, "horrible disease that is. My sister passed away from it as well, so I know how you feel. Steve was a good man, and I'm happy to have you aboard."

Chris smiled again. "Thank you, Mr. Montgomery. I need to be going. Can you tell me what time I need to be here tomorrow?"

"The shop opens at nine and closes at five every weekday."

"Thank you, again." Chris said as closing the door behind her as she left.

A/N: I'll try to get up Chap. 3 as soon as possible, but until then, Please Review!


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: Hey, thanks for reviewing! That was exactly what I needed. I'll try to make the chapters longer, and I have taken off the 'no anonymous reviewers' thing. (Thanks for the tip!) Anywho, here's the third chapter. Oh, and before I forget, I have a Labyrinth fanfic just in case you're interested. I think the chapters are longer too! :)

Chapter Three

After leaving Montgomery's Bookshop, Chris had spent most of the morning walking around town. There were so many different places, and she hadn't been able to appreciate them the day before seeing she had a house to find.

It was about twelve-thirty when Chris stomach had growl, and she got angry for skipping breakfast this morning. She had been in such a hurry to get to the bookstore, she had totally forgot. Taking note that she was on Hickory Street, she headed for the closest diner: Frosty's Malt-shop.

Chris felt as though she had stepped back in time when she pulled the malt-shop's door open, and a familiar little bell rang over her head. She glanced around, and noticed that nothing seemed to change much.

Frosty, or Forest Bailey, or whoever owned Frosty's now, still kept the counters a shining white. All the seats at the booths and the covers on the stools by the counter were a sparkling red, which was cover by a plastic-like substance. And the floor was still checkered of black and pink tile.

Chris walked up to the counter, and instantly a young teenage boy appeared from the back-kitchen to take her order. "May I help you?"

"Yes," Chris replied, smiling at the boy, "I was wondering if you could tell me if Mr. Bailey still works here?"

The cheerful boy's fell somewhat and answered in a saddened tone, "I hate to be the one to tell you this, Miss, but Mr. Bailey passed away a few years back."

"Oh, I see. Wait, did you know him?"

"Yes, I'm his grandson, Phillip. My father owns the business now."

Chris nodded. "Well, thank you, Phillip. I'm Chris."

"You're very welcome, Chris. Now is there anything you'd like to order."

"I'll just have a chocolate shake."

Chris took a seat on one of the stools, and stared blankly at the counter. Maybe things 'weren't' exactly as they had been the last time she had lived here.

"Here you go." Phillip smiled as her set the milkshake down in front of Chris.

Chris muttered a 'thanks', and continued to silently think about what had and hadn't changed in Shady Brook.

When the last of the shake was gone from the bottom of Chris' glass, she stood and left the proper amount of money on the counter. Phillip said good-bye to her as he picked up the money and empty glass, and wiped the counter in front of the place where she had been sitting.

Chris decided she needed a little something to make her feel more at home. Passing the different shops, her eyes soon fell upon the perfect thing: red roses. Dark, dark red roses. They were her favorite flower.

She quickly grabbed a dozen of them and paid. Maybe Chris was doing things a little too quickly because as soon as she was back on the street, she wasn't watching where she was going, and smacked right into someone. The both fell to the ground, and the flowers flew from Chris' hands.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" came the high-pitched voice of the person Chris had bumped into. "Here let me help you."

Chris looked up from the cement to see a hand right in front of her face. She "gratefully" took it, and brushed herself off. Then she finally looked at the person she had knocked over. The girl was bent over picking up the roses.

'Wait a minute!' a voice in Chris' head yelled. 'Those blue eyes? That blonde hair? It can't be! Can it?'

"Megan?"

"Huh?" the girl jerked her head up. "Um, yes. And you are...?"

"Megan!" Chris exclaimed, throwing her arms around her. "It's me, silly! Chris, Chris Davis!"

"Chris?" Megan repeated suddenly recognizing her. "Oh, wow! Where've you been?"

"After Papa died, I moved in with my aunt in Austin, Texas. I just bought a house on Cobble Drive."

"That's great! Oh, do you know how much I missed you?"

Chris looked at Megan's face and couldn't help smiling. Even though Megan was four years younger than her, they had always gotten along well. Chris was just happy that Megan had remembered her. Chris left when she was nine, and Megan had been quite young. But now, wasn't the time to think about that. They had a lot of catching up to do! "Do you know how much I missed this town?" she asked softly to know one in particular

"Speaking of your father," Megan began, not paying attention to what Chris had said, and interrupting Chris' thoughts, "have you been to the theatre yet? You'll be surprised to find how so much has changed and yet stayed the same."

"No," Chris replied, finally giving Megan her full attention. "No the theatre is one place I haven't been back to. In fact, I haven't been there since my father was still performing. He played beautifully..."

"Oh, yes," Megan agreed, "I remember how talented he was with a violin."

"Does your mother still teach ballet there?"

"Mmm-hmm. Hey, I know! We're performing this Friday! I can get you a ticket if you'd like. And you can come to rehearsals. I'm sure mother will let you come back to the dressing rooms. Oh, it will be just like the old days! You know? Goofing around backstage, attempting to "quietly" cheer your father on as he performed, all the while my mother telling us to hush!"

"Oh, that would be splendid!" Chris smiled again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "What time shall I need to be there for the rehearsals?"

"Thursday from six to eight. And the performance is at nine on Friday."

"Great! It won't interfere with my job; I'm working for Mr. Montgomery just like Papa."

Just as Chris turned to leave, Megan added, "Oh, and Chris? Do be ready for some surprises. You never know who'll show up at rehearsals..."

A/N: There you have it. Hope it was longer. If not, it's back to the drawing boards for me. Oh, well. Chap. 4 should be posted soon. Please Review!


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: The Phantom of the Opera, its plot and characters do not belong to me. Neither do the 'Mr. Sandman' lyrics.

A/N: Okay, thanks for the reviews. Sorry that John (Erik) hasn't shown up yet, but like Megan said, "you never know who'll show up at rehearsals"!

Chapter Four

Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to fly by for Chris, and before she knew it, it was Thursday. She had been anticipating the rehearsals since Megan had mentioned them, and now they had finally arrived.

She had laid all her clothes out the night before, had already decided what she was going to eat for breakfast, and set her alarm clock. And now, here she was, standing in front of the theatre, getting cold feet. She was nervous as ever and nearly shrieked when she felt someone touch her shoulder.

"Hey, Chris are you going to stand there all day?"

Chris turned to see Megan, standing behind her with a confused look on her face. "You ready?"

Chris let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. "Yeah, I'm ready."

As soon as Chris stepped foot in the theatre, she felt better. This wasn't so bad. She didn't even remember what she had been afraid of. Megan was right. The theatre had changed some, but for the most part was the same.

Chris followed Megan backstage to the dressing room when she heard a familiar voice.

"Oh! You are never going to get this right if you don't pay attention to what I am trying to tell you. Now again."

Chris turned just in time to see the scolded dancers groan in unison. She grinned as she also saw the scolder. "Hello, Ms. Gary."

Ms. Gary turned her attention to Chris and a small smile formed on her lips. Ms. Gary was a rather strict woman, but she always got things done. She also was always kind to Chris, accepting her as another daughter. She slowly approached Chris.

"Hello, Chris. How are you?"

"Very fine, thanks."

"Megan," she began, motioning to her daughter, "has told me you are now living here again?"

"Yes ma'am."

Ms. Gary nodded. "It's very nice to have you back then. Welcome home."

"Thank you," Chris said as Ms. Gary left to go scold her dancers more.

"Come on, Chris."

Chris followed Megan as she started to lead her from backstage. But along the way, she got caught up in looking at the changes of the theatre and bumped into someone.

"Watch it!" someone snapped.

"I'm sorry-" Chris tried to say, but was cut off.

"I don't care if you're sorry. Next time, watch where you're going." The person she had ran into sneered. She was a little on the beefy-side, and had squeezed herself into a tiny little leather outfit. She had a rather strong accent, and her blotchy face seemed to scream: "Out of my way!"

The woman sneered again, and left a dumbfounded Chris behind. Megan came up on her just as the beefy-woman was leaving.

"Sorry about that, Chris."

"Who was that woman?"

"That was Carla, the lead actress here. None of us like her." Megan shuddered. "Well, not besides Peter and Mr. Ferris and Andrews."

Chris looked at her funny. "Who?"

"Peter," she explained, "is the lead actor. Mr. Ferris and Mr. Andrews own the theatre."

"Oh, Mr. Gabriel doesn't own it anymore?"

"No, he left because of the gho-"

"Megan Gary!" Ms. Gary hollered. "Are you a dancer or not? Get over here!"

Before Chris was able to ask what she had been talking about, Megan was by Ms. Gary's side. So Chris walked back to the wings to watch as they all rehearsed.

For the most part, it everything went all right. Chris didn't have another run-in with Carla, and the dancers performed rather well. But as the rehearsal came to a close, their luck ran out. A stage light fell, and all the lights began to flicker.

"It's the phantom!" the dancers screamed.

Carla's face turned ashen, and Megan ran to her mother's side. Chris just stood silent as two men ran onto the stage.

"What on earth is going on?" one demanded.

"Mr. Ferris," one of the dancers explained, "it's the ghost!"

"Nonsense!" the other one said.

"No, it's true, Mr. Andrews!" another dancer cried.

"That's it!" Carla stated, exasperated, "I'm done with this play. I'll come back when you exterminate!"

"Don't say that," Ms. Gary replied calmly, "the phantom may not take to kindly to you referring to him like that."

"I don't care!" she shrieked as she stormed off.

When she was out of sight, a voice rang from above. "Sorry about that!"

Mr. Ferris looked up to the catwalk. "Joe Bucket! This all your fault then?"

"Sorry, just some faulty-wiring, and I kinda slipped."

"Slipped indeed."

Mr. Ferris and Mr. Andrews left to collect Carla, as the actors and dancers went to change. Chris walked over to Megan.

"Who is this 'ghost'?"

"It's rumor that there is a phantom who lives in the theatre. Whenever something goes wrong they always blame it on the ghost."

Chris nodded and followed Megan back to the dressing rooms again. When they got there, Megan pulled a boom box out of her duffle bag, and explained, "I could use some music to calm my nerves after the incident."

As Megan changed Chris sat and tapped her foot to the beat if the music.

"Hey, Chris? Why were you carrying flowers that first day when I ran into you?"

"Oh," Chris answered, "dark red roses are my favorite flower. I bought them so that I could make my house feel more 'homey'."

"Sorry again for knocking you over."

"That's okay. It's my fault, really. Hey! Can you turn it up? I love this song!"

Megan complied and couldn't help but giggle when Chris started singing along.

'Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

Make him the cutest that I've ever seen

Give him two lips like roses and clover

Then tell him that his lonesome nights are over.

Sandman, I'm so alone-'

Chris stopped suddenly when the song turned to static. She got up and turned the dial, trying to get the station back, but all she got was static.

"Oh, gee, the batteries must be low."

"Sorry," Megan apologized. "I don't remember the last time I changed them."

"That's okay."

"But, hey! You've got a great voice! You should try out for the chorus here!"

"Really?" she asked, when to hands covered her eyes.

"Oh, yeah," a deep voice said into her ear. "No good in letting talent go to waste. You've got an amazing voice."

Chris felt her cheeks grow hot as the owner of the voice let her go. She spun around to see him and nearly fell over.

"Ralph?!"

"Yep," the young man answered as he gave her a stunning smile. "And I mean what I say. You should definitely try out for the chorus."

"You know," Chris said, changing the subject, "I still have my bandana."

"I'm glad! Do you know how close I came to losing my life that day?"

"Oh, please! You rescued by bandana from the public swimming pool."

Ralph gave her a mock-frown. "Yes, but it was the deep-end of the pool."

Chris rolled her eyes, and gave Ralph a hug. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah, it's been a while. But, hey, I got to go. I thought I saw you on the stage and decided to say hello, but I have to leave. Phil asked me to help him with some stuff. But I really think you should consider what I said."

Chris said good-bye, and stood thinking as he walked away. Ralph had been her friend when she lived here last. Her father had always approved of him, and he was sweet to her. He was rather attractive, too. He was born into a rich-family, but he lived with his aunt and uncle because his parents had died when he was young. Chris could relate. But his older brother, Phil had never liked her. She suspected it was because her and her father were from the poorer side of town.

"Here's your ticket," Megan said, breaking Chris' thoughts.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to go on home. This has been a tiresome day."

"I know what you mean," she agreed.

"I'll call you later, and maybe I'll even call about trying out for the chorus."

"You really should, you've got an excellent voice. Real talent."

It seemed as though Megan and Ralph weren't the only ones who saw talent in Chris. As Chris left the theatre, she was unaware of the presence over-head. Lurking in the shadows, they waited silently to make their move.


	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews, they are always appreciated. I'm sorry to say that my Christine character is going to be slightly deceived by Ralph, but don't worry! Good ol' John will show her Ralph's true colors. Sorry about the errors, I do spell check, but whenever I see a grammar mistake after I post a new chapter, I curse myself for a good 3 hours. I got really pissed at myself after I posted the last chapter, so I'll try to make there be fewer mistakes.

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Chapter Five

Chris had left the theatre, and decided to stop by _Frosty's_ on the way home. She got a burger and fries, and was now on her way back to her house. The sun was now setting, and Chris was hoping to get home before it was totally dark.

She stumbled around her yard, still not used to her environment, until finally she tripped over the stoop of her house. She climbed the steps bit by bit, trying not to upset her ankle that she twisted when she tripped. Chris fished her keys out of her pocket, and felt for the keyhole. The door unlocked, and Chris was about to enter, when she stepped on something.

Chris reached inside the house, and flipped the porch light's switch. Lying on the doormat was a bouquet of black roses. She bent over to pick them up, and discovered a note, lodged between two of the roses. It read:

'You were brilliant. I hope for another performance soon.'

It was unsigned, but Chris knew immediately whom the flowers were from.

_Ralph!_ She thought, _He's so dumb sometimes, but then he can be so sweet!_

Chris hurried inside, and put the roses in some water. Perhaps she would look into trying out for the chorus.

Chris rushed down the streets of Shady Brook, as she tried to get to Montgomery's before she was late. She arrived at 8:57, just as Mr. Montgomery was opening up the store.

She gave a sigh of relief as she passed through the bookshop doors, _on time_. She set her backpack down behind the front counter, and got to work on shelving a new delivery of books from the day before.

It was noon when Mr. Montgomery told her to go ahead and take her lunch-break. She thanked him, and left to go get a salad at _Frosty's_.

When there was no more lettuce left in her bowl, Chris noticed that she had a good fifteen minutes left of break time. She knew exactly where she still needed to visit.

The Shady Brook cemetery hadn't changed much since her last visit, when her father was buried. But she still noticed little things, like the new headstones and newly added shrubbery. On her father's funeral, she memorized every detail of that day.

Chris sat down beside his grave, and slowly stroked his tombstone.

"Hey, dad. It's been awhile. I came back. I work for Mr. Montgomery now, just like you used to do. I miss you dad... I miss you every day. Life hasn't been the same since you left..."

Chris looked down at her watch through blurry eyes.

"I have to go now, but I'll be back. I promise..."

As Chris rose and left the cemetery, she knew she would never be coming back.

A/N: Hey, sorry! I know this was a stupidly short chapter, but I thought that would be a good place to end it. But I'll tell you what; I'll post more than one chapter today. That sound like an even trade? Please Review!

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	6. Chapter Six

A/N: Okay, here's that chapter I promised. I already have the skeleton of my story figured out, so I think I may actually be finishing this story within the year. I'll go back, of course and add.

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Chapter Six

Chris was sitting in the audience, waiting for Megan's performance to begin, when all of the sudden, the dancer was right beside Chris.

"Megan! What are you doing here?" Chris demanded to know. "You should be backstage!"

"I know, but come see me after the show! I have some big news to tell you!"

Chris sat, puzzled as Megan ran off and the show started.

The show for the most part was good. There were no disturbances from the 'ghost', but Chris noticed how some of the dancers forgot the steps.

_Oh, _she thought, _Ms. Gary is going to have a field day._

When the show was over, and the last of the cast had finished bowing, Chris got up, and headed for backstage. Megan was already changed and waiting for her when she got there.

"You were great!" Chris exclaimed.

"Which is more than I can say for the rest of my dancers," Ms. Gary mumbled as she passed by Chris.

Chris and Megan traded grins, when she asked, "So what was so important, Megan?"

"Oh, you won't believe it, Chris! The managers got an anonymous note demanding that you be hired!"

_Ralph._

"Do you think it was Ralph?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Megan replied, honestly. "Some of the dancers have been suggesting that it was Joe Bucket. Everyone knows how much he's been hoping they'd replace Carla."

At this, they both broke into a fit of giggles.

"I don't know," Chris said, still laughing, "maybe it was that 'ghost' you spoke of!"

Megan instantly sobered. "I would hope not. It's not a good idea to get involved with the phantom. Joe Bucket told some of the dancers that he saw him. They constantly pester him to tell them about he phantom, but Mama says he needs stop, or he might regret it."

Chris' face suddenly turned serious.

"But I'm sure Ralph sent it," Megan assured her.

Chris was about to agree, when all of the sudden, two men rushed up beside her.

"Miss Davis!" Mr. Ferris cried happily, clapping his hands together. "How are you?"

"Um, fine, thank you-"

"Yes, yes, very nice, very nice," he said, not paying attention.

"We take it that you would like to be part of our theatre?" Mr. Andrews asked, now stepping in.

"Oh, yes sir. I would like very much to be part of the chorus, sir."

Mr. Ferris and Mr. Andrews both gave a sigh of relief. After the note they had received, they had been hoping she wouldn't demand to be a diva. They both knew Carla wouldn't go down without a fight. With that out of the way, they proceeded to tell her when rehearsals were.

As they left, Chris noticed she was shaking. This didn't go unnoticed to Megan either.

"You nervous?"

"Ha! You don't know the half of it. I just wish my father were here. Or Ralph... my 'Johnny angel'."

Megan started to laugh. "I remember that! You used to love that song! And he said that one day, he make sure that you got your 'Johnny angel'."

"Yes," Chris said, remembering. "He was supposed to be my special someone, supposedly perfect."

"Someday, Chris," Megan guaranteed her, as she turned to leave, "one day, he'll show up. Who knows? Maybe it'll even be Ralph..."

Luckily, rehearsals were at six, and they wouldn't interfere with Chris' job. She was very giddy her first day of rehearsal. She stood with the rest of the sopranos in the chorus, silently waiting to begin.

Sometimes the theatre performed older operas like _Carmen, _sometimes they did musicals like _Cats, _but right now, they were practicing the musical version of one of Chris' favorite Disney movies, _Beauty and the Beast._

Of course, Carla had gotten the part of _Beauty,_ and Peter was to play the _Beast, _but Chris was perfectly happy singing the chorus' part. She was happy for Megan, who had gotten the part of _Chip, _one of the enchanted teacups.

Chris shot Megan a glance when the managers stepped on stage, both looking quite pale and a little shook-up. Megan slipped off-stage, and to the chorus, making her way to Chris.

"They say the managers got another note last night. This one was a little more threatening."

Chris gasped. "Do they know what it said?"

Megan sadly shook her head, and went back to the wings.

The rehearsal started out nicely. Chris had gone over the lyrics at home, and was beginning to feel more comfortable in the chorus. But it was when Carla came onstage to sing her part that things got out of hand.

She was waiting for her cue, and was about to sing, when the backdrop fell. Stage lights followed, and soon it was almost like a reenactment of the first rehearsal Chris had been at.

The dancers began screaming, the managers were running back and forth, and Carla high-tailed it out of there.

"Joe Bucket!" Mr. Ferris yelled at the top of his lungs.

"What?" Joe asked, coming out of the men's room.

Mr. Ferris opened his mouth, but no words came out. The managers gave each other worried looks, and Mr. Andrews stepped forward.

"Chris Davis?"

"Yes, sir?" she asked meekly.

"You will be taking the part of _Beauty._"

The rest of the rehearsal went on without any interruption, and Chris quickly learned her part. It was soon time to leave and the theatre quickly became empty.

Chris was the last one on stage when the lights went out. Chris cursed and felt around for her backpack. She sat down on the stage as she dug through it.

"I don't remember things going wrong this often the last time I was here." She grumbled to herself. "Aha! Found it."

Chris pulled her flashlight out of her backpack. She had taken to carrying it after the first night when she twisted her ankle. She was thankful she remembered.

Chris zipped her bag back up, and clicked on her flashlight as she stood. She was smiling to herself, happy that she was smart enough to carry it, when she turned and came face to face with two burning eyes.

A/N: Okay, was it a fair enough trade? Please Review!


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